Out of the horror of Sunday's shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., has come a window into "the sunshine of their minds," India's ambassador to the U.S. says about faithful Sikhs.
We're seeing their "capacity to look ahead, to heal, to be tolerant, to be understanding and to be calm and composed in the face of terrible grief or tragedy," Ambassador Nirupama Rao told NPR's Michel Martin today on Tell Me More.
On Sunday, a gunman killed six people and seriously wounded another three at the Wisconsin temple.
Wednesday, we wrote that to Sikhs, "anger is not just futile, it's a sin." Ambassador Rao (who is not a Sikh) expanded on that theme, talking of the Sikh community's compassion and strength — qualities that she said have served it well "through the ages."
She also talked about how the 3 million Indian-Americans in the U.S. today generally feel "very well integrated into the American fabric and mainstream" and aren't letting Sunday's shooting change that.
Much more from Michel's conversation with the ambassador is on today's Tell Me More. Click here to find a station that broadcasts the show.
In related news, Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel says that the city's Froedtert Hospital "on Thursday upgraded the conditions of two of the three men shot and injured ... by gunman Wade Michael Page."
Oak Creek Police Lt. Brian Murphy, who was shot eight or nine times, is now said to be in satisfactory condition. The newspaper also says that "Santokh Singh's condition has been upgraded to serious from critical ... [and] Punjab Singh remains in critical condition."
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